


Not So Far Away

by mintyleaves



Category: Shrek (Movies)
Genre: Dating the king, Dorks, Dorks in Love, F/M, Fluff, Older Sister, far far away, king arthur - Freeform, marrying the king, not good at tags, x Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2018-11-09 10:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintyleaves/pseuds/mintyleaves
Summary: When you move to Far Far Away, you're stunned to see the small, awkward Artie you knew from high school has become a handsome king. As the two of you become better friends you start to wonder. Could he be your knight in shining armor... er, king in shining jewels?





	1. The Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first fanfiction on AO3!  
> This is written in 2nd pov under the character Laila. You're welcome to change her name and appearance to fit yours!  
> I won't keep you longer so check the end notes for more. Enjoy! X

Since forever you have thought the kingdom of Far Far Away was nothing but a joke. Sure, you knew it existed but come on. Who names a kingdom Far Far Away? That had to be a joke right?

Well as you sat impatiently in your carriage, you realized the name Far Far Away does not lie. You kept shifting your legs, unable to keep them comfortable because of how cramped the back seat was. 

"Stop kicking my seat, Laila," your older sister muttered from the front of the carriage.

"Sorry," you said. "Marigold," you dragged her name out, earning a frustrated hiss from her. 

"I told you not to call me that," she spat, whipping her head around and turning to you angrily. 

"What? Your name?" You asked.

"I have asked and asked you repeatedly to call me Mari. Why don't you listen? I knew you were dumb but I didn't know you couldn't follow instructions," Marigold taunted.

"I'm not dumb. I have a learning disability. I thought you'd remember it with only three letters," you responded.

"Ugh! I'm going to reach back there and-"

"And it appears we arrived with perfect timing!" Your dad said nervously. He quickly hopped out of the carriage and went around to the bags on the back.

Marigold shot you a glare before hopping off herself and meeting your dad. Once all the luggage was unloaded he looked between you and you sister and ran a hand through his hair. "Girls," he said. "I know things haven't been easy between you. Being in the same grade and all that competition."

"Please dad," Marigold said. "It was hardly competition," she flipped a lock of thick charcoal-colored hair behind her. 

You rolled your eyes. Because you and Marigold were adopted, your birthdays were in the same year. Her's was in September and yours was three months later in December. This also meant you looked nothing like your dad. He was tan with dirty blond hair. You and your sister both had dark hair and light brown skin. 

The similarities between you and your sister were strange judging as you didn't have the same birth parents. 

Your mom didn't resemble you much either. Her skin was light and her hair was curly and brown. But you hadn't seen either of those things in awhile. She died two years ago when a disease hit.

"Mari," your dad warned. "I'm not asking much. After this summer you'll be off to extended school. So until then please try to get along. For your dad?" He asked.

Marigold looked at you for a moment before turning to her dad. "Yes, daddy." 

"Thank you."

You grabbed your bags and started up the large staircase of the palace. Your dad had just gotten a job as the king's royal advisor. It was an important job and you knew he'd do well.

You actually knew the king. Well, knew of him. There was nothing personal between you two. You both went to the same high school. In fact, his locker was a few down from yours. You remember this because it was constantly overflowing with mean papers and notes.

There were a couple of times you thought about standing up for him but at the time you were dating Lancelot. He wouldn't have liked it very much to see his girlfriend flirting with the enemy. The two of you didn't last long before his interest was directed to Guin. 

The two of you didn't even officially break up. You just saw him in the hallway, pinning her up against a locker, and that was enough. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt much. Besides his looks he didn't have much else going for him. 

You wondered what would've happened had you stepped up for Arthur just once. That thought filled you with guilt. 

As you were in your room, unpacking, there was a knock at your door. You couldn't help but jump at the sudden noise. "It's dad," his familiar voice said.

"Oh, yes," you said. "Come in."

He opened the door and you were a little disappointed to see Marigold standing behind him. "His Majesty has invited us to tea to get to know you two." 

"I hope he's not still that loser from high school," Marigold commented.

You remember what your dad said. It's hard, but you bit your tongue. "It would be an honor," you responded politely. 

The King's sitting room was not very far from yours, only two halls away. There were, as should be, two guards standing outside the door keeping watch. 

"Nelson Oakes," your dad said.

The guards nodded and stepped out of the way. One knocked on the door three times before opening it. "Guests, Your Highness."

Nelson walked in first and bowed deeply to the king. You followed along, matching his position equally. Marigold bowed too, but hers was hardly deep enough to be proper for someone of the King's status. 

He didn't seem to notice. He rose from his seat to greet you. You always remembered Arthur as being tall in high school. He was above average and there weren't many others quite his height. While some girls pinned after tall guys, Arthur's height just made him seem awkward.

Now, though, it seemed he had grown into his height. He still had the soft and energetic face of a young boy, but his stature was starting to resemble one of a man. 

"A pleasure, Your Highness," Nelson said formally. 

His Majesty regarded Nelson with a warm smile. "Please, call me Artie," he said.

"As you wish. Artie," Nelson said, turning to Marigold on his left. "My eldest daughter, Marigold, 18 to be 19 in four months."

Artie looked up to her face just to find it looking at a nearby window longingly. His smile fell as he placed a light kiss to her hand. 

"My youngest daughter, Laila, 18."

Artie turned from your sister to you. Once he laid eyes on you, his smile returned, bigger than before. He used one hand to lift yours and the other to fold around it carefully. 

It had been two years since Arthur was whisked away from school by an ogre and a donkey and... wasn't there a cat? ...In boots? Yeah. Anyways. It was apparent he had grown to fit his height nicely, and Artie perfectly fit the definition of a handsome young man. Older, more sophisticated than a teenage boy yet younger and not as wise as a fully grown adults.

Oh yes and handsome. Artie was definitely handsome.

As he leaned down to kiss your hand, he kept his teal-colored eyes glued to yours. You couldn't do quite the same. Your cheeks felt hot under the attention and you averted your gaze to a nearby statue.

"Welcome to the palace," he said softly. "Shall we go outside for a cup of tea?"

He led you out to his rather large balcony. There, a small table was set up for the four of them. A satin table cloth was beneath four tea sets and a plate full of cookies. 

Artie began to pull out a chair in front of you, making you blush. "You're too kind," you said softly.

"You're too sweet," he said. "Cookie?" 

You didn't listen much to the conversation over tea. It was mainly Nelson and Artie discussing the politics of running Far Far Away. To be honest, the warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookies sitting on the plate did a much better job at keeping your attention.

"Enjoying them?" He asked, laughing as he saw you take what had to be your fifth cookie. You looked at him with wide eyes, caught red-handed. You had been hoping the discussion of the borderland would distract him from, well, your cookie issue. "Take as many as you like, Laila. I can make more and send them to your room if you wish."

You almost choked as he said that. "You-you made these?" You gasped.

Artie nodded. "My specialty. It's all I can make, really." 

"They're delicious," you said.

"Why thank you," Artie said. He turned to look out past the balcony and you couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked in the evening light. 

The sun was sinking down under the horizon and casting bright rays of gold across the sky. The hot, fierce red from the sun and the calm, deep blue from the sky met somewhere in the middle. They mixed and coated the sky in a soft purple. 

Artie looked lost in thought as he looked into the light. You wondered how he wasn't blind yet from the harsh sun. 

"Right, well," Artie said, coming back to reality. "I guess now is as good as time as any to tell you the annual summer ball is Wednesday."

"Oh," you said, trying to stay calm. That was only three days away. "Do you need a date?"

"Yeah, actually I-" he stopped short as his cheeks flushed slightly. "Oh. you meant..." you laughed. "If you're planning of asking someone you need to present a rose to them. I'm not sure why but it's a tradition I guess. You don't need to bring a date but a lot of people do."

"That'll be easy," Marigold said. She looked you up and down. "For me."

You snarled but before you could shoot back something Artie put his hand on yours. Your pulse quickened as you turned to him with wide eyes. "Even if you can't get one don't be hard on yourself. You just got here. It's going to take a while to meet people you like," he said. He was looking towards Marigold. 

Nelson looked at her too. He had a disappointed and tired look strewn on his face as he stood up from his chair. "It's getting late..."

Artie nodded. "You're right," he turned to you and smiled warmly. "It was a pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you again soon."

"You too," you said, noticing how he didn't even regard Marigold. 

The three of you took one last bow before returning to your respective rooms. As you unpacked your clothes and put them away, you couldn't stop thinking. You thought of how much Artie had grown from that small boy he was in high school. Now he was a strong king, capable of leading a kingdom. 

Mostly though, you thought about the ball. Marigold would find a date no problem. Actually, she'd have a line of them down the street. 

You flopped onto bed and looked hopelessly up at the ceiling until sleep took you to a land far, far away.


	2. Sew What

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You made a friend! Yay!

Living in a castle had its perks. For example, the blankets and pillows are softer than anything you'd ever felt. To top of the great sleep, the view outside your window was breath taking. You could see Artie's balcony, as yours faced west and his faced south. 

There was more to see than just him, though. Farther south, a lake could be seen with the palace garden surrounding it. 

As you stood in front of your balcony, admiring the gorgeous view, there was a knock on your door. You turned. Small surprise, it's Nelson. 

"You're up," he commented.

"Yes," you answered bluntly. 

"His Majesty is very kind to let us stay without shedding coin," Nelson said.

"Yes," you said again. 

"I was thinking," Nelson said slowly. He picked up a decoration on your table and you groaned, wishing he wouldn't beat around the bush so much. "It would be nice if you and Marigold could maybe help out around the castle?" 

"Oh," you blinked. For some reason you thought he was going to say something worse. "Yeah, of course."

"I still need to talk to your sister," Nelson said. "I briefly talked to a servant about finding you two jobs. There are two I think you might be interested in. The first is out in the palace garden where you can water flowers and such. The second is sewing cloaks and such for His Majesty."

Both of these sounded nice to you. The gardens were beautiful and it might be a nice place to work. On the other hand, sewing was something you enjoyed. Your mom taught you. She tried to teach Marigold too but she kept stabbing herself with the needle and eventually gave up. 

"Sewing sounds nice," you said, thinking of your mother. 

Nelson smiled. "I figured you'd choose that."

The sewing room was a floor down and a ways to the left. You were surprised to see only three people in the room.

Two of them were turned to each other as they talked excitedly. A redhead girl sat off to the side, smiling and nodding along with the conversation. 

The brunette turned to you briefly before turning back to the blond and continuing her conversation. 

"Is there somewhere to sign up or..?" You wondered out loud.

The redhead smiled and stood up. "Nope. Welcome. My name's Payton."

"I'm Laila," you answered. 

"Welcome Laila," Payton said warmly. "Have you seen before?"

You nodded your head. "I'm sure you can take it from here," Nelson commented before taking his leave.

"I used to sew with my mother all the time. I'm pretty good at it," you told Payton.

"Great," she answered as she led you to a nearby desk. "We mainly patch and tailor things here."

"That shouldn't be too hard," you answered, taking a seat. 

Payton nodded. "Lately though, we've been getting orders for the Solstice Ball. It's been a bit of a rush working on the final touches."

You looked over to the blond and brunette still chattering away. "Doesn't look rushed to me," you looked back to Payton and seemed to notice just how messy her braids were. 

"They're just taking a break," Payton explained, pulling out a piece of paper. "This is the next order but I've been procrastinating."

She hands you the paper and you look it over. It's a sketch of a slender woman with short hair wearing a golden dress with white lace on the bodice and hem of the skirt. It is nicely, but quickly, drawn. "How many more orders after this one?" You asked. 

"Two more," Payton sighed. "I usually finish one in a day or so." You nodded as she ran into the supply closet to grab a mannequin.

"What are you good at?" You asked, watching her as she pinned some fabric around the bodice of the mannequin. 

"I can make the top fairly easily. The skirt is harder because it usually has more detail," she answered.

"Well then," you said, taking a spool of golden fabric. "Guess I should get started."

A few long hours later Payton looked over your work. "I really can't thank you enough," she said. By now, the other two were long gone. They left a little after noon. You couldn't help but notice how they contributed nothing to the "rush" Payton spoke about. "You're more than welcome to leave. I can sew the two together." 

You looked at the clock and saw it was a little after 3. "All right. Why don't we take a break to get something to eat then we can come back and work on the next order."

"Laila," Payton said. "You really don't have to help me. It's not your job."

"Payton," you replied. "It's no big deal, really. You shouldn't have to do this yourself."

She looked at you like she had never heard that before. "If you say so," she responded with a shrug. 

As you passed the ballroom, you were amazed to see the crowd off people setting up for the ball. There were banners and ribbons being strung across the wall. A few plants were potted and brought in to be trimmed and watered. It only looked about half way done, but it showed hard work and potential.

After the two of you grabbed something to eat, you returned to the sewing room and began planning out the next dress. 

"As you can tell, this one is for a young lady," Payton said. "I'm slightly afraid this mannequin won't be the right size," she bit her thumb.

You looked over the sketch. This next dress was pink with many, many, chiffon tiers. "How do these orders come in?"

Payton pointed to a box in the corner. "They're mailed in. You have to meet with a sketch artist to make sure it looks how you want. You're supposed to leave your name and measurements but there's none on this."

"I see," you muttered. "I guess we should just tailor it to this mannequin. What other options do we have?" You asked, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. Payton didn't look sure. "If it's the wrong size we'll blame it on the other two."

She laughed at that. "I suppose that works with me."

Once you are finished, you realized it has gotten late and most of the castle was settling into their rooms. You gave the mannequin one final twirl and Payton nodded approvingly. She looked up to you with a wide smile. "So?" She asked.

"Pink," you answered.

She laughed and strode over to grab her things. "I think we make a great team."

"Agreed," you said. 

Payton switched off the lights and locked up the room. She didn't bother taking the dress off the mannequin but you figured it was because of how tired she was. 

The hallways were quiet at such a late hour and your shoes seemed to be the only thing creating noise. You wanted to say something to Payton but you didn't know what. 

"I'll see you tomorrow, Laila," Payton said, turning towards another hallway. You nodded. She smiled and began walking but stopped. "Thanks," she said quietly, turning over her shoulder but not looking at you. She hurried away after that so you could not respond. 

As you continued to your room you thought about how unfair it was for Payton to do all the work herself. You wanted to say something to those two. You wanted to tell them not to take Payton for granted like they did. 

Another part of you wanted to stay out of it. Payton didn't bring attention to it and you didn't want to poke around in other people's business. 

When you opened the door to your room, you were surprised to see a plain white envelope on the floor. You searched it for any name but it was blank except for the green wax seal on the back depicting an elaborate A. 

You sank into the plush cushions of your couch and opened it up, curious of its contents. 

"I seem to have missed you today. Such a pity. I look forward to seeing you again. The Solstice Ball is so close but I have so much more to prepare for. Maybe you can help me with that? Please see me tomorrow, Laila. There's something important I have to talk to you about."

In perfect, swirling penmanship, it was signed King Arthur Pendragon. It surprised you to see him using his full title and not simply Artie. You decided to tease him about that when you went to see him. 

It did make you curious though. You were already helping Payton with sewing dresses. What else did Artie need help with that he couldn't ask someone else? 

You couldn't worry about it tonight though. You were tired and had to get up early for a long day of work tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably not going to update this often so I can focus on other fanfictions this is more of a side one


	3. Sinking Feeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mornings show so much potiental. Let's just hope it's for good and not bad.

"He who rises late must trot all day."

That saying has never been more true. Your morning, er, afternoon because you woke up just after 12:30, had been hectic. The only moment you had to spare was when you first woke up, feeling refreshed from the great night sleep on the palace's lush bedding. 

With a yawn you got up out of bed and, like in the movies, strolled over to look out your window at Artie's balcony. He seemed to be accompanied by another person. 

His balcony was about a half a mile away from yours so you couldn't see the exact characteristics of the person. What you saw was enough to sour your early-morning positive mood. 

There were two figures standing close to each other, that of Artie and one of another girl who you did not know. Artie was hunched over the railing. A silhouette bearing a round skirt and tied-up hair put a hand on his back. 

He stood up tall and looked at her for a moment before grabbing both her hands. She nodded excitedly and pulled him in for a hug.

Your heart sunk. From what it looked, Artie had just asked a girl to the ball. 

You turned away, closed the curtains, and leaned back against them. Tilting your head up, you sighed. Did you really think you had a chance? He might have been a nerd once but he's a king now. 

He can do so much better.

With a frown, you got as presentable as you could. As you took one last look at yourself you couldn't help but wonder how pretty the other girl was. Or who she was. 

But you couldn't worry about that right now. You'd find out on Wednesday. Right now, it was time to get down to the sewing room and help Payton. It's not like the other two were going to do anything.

You grabbed your sweater and headed out the door. 

Upon entering the sewing room, a box of stuffing was filled everywhere. A voice and a hand were raised.

"You're such a control freak!" 

"You were messing up the dress!"

"I was trying to help!"

Your eyes dart from Payton, holding scissors and pieces of fabric to the brunette, standing defensively next to the mannequin.

On it appeared to be a collaboration between the two. The top was smoothly covered in draping silk. A bejeweled belt held neutral territory before things literally went south. 

Parts of the skirt were bunched up, fluffed out, cut up, and a lot of it was missing. It looked like Cinderella's dress... before the fairy-godmother came along.

"The only person who helps around here is Laila!" Payton said.

The brunette furrowed her eyebrows, but her lip, and nodded. "We've been friends for nine years. You should know I was just trying to help."

"All you did was create more work for me," Payton explained. She turned around to dig through her fabrics. 

The brunette shifted her feet. Payton picked a fabric and set it on her desk. She returned to the mannequin and started cutting pieces off. She didn't say anything. The brunette met your eyes. She glared at you then stocked away.

You knelt down by Payton, who was hurriedly cutting away pieces.

"It'd be easier to replace the whole skirt," you said softly.

Payton didn't look at you. "I know. But there's not enough fabric. I just checked."

You poked a finger at the bulging dress. It felt strangely... stiff?

"Is something in here?"

"Stuffing," Payton answered. She pulled out a handful and dropped it to the ground. "Lots and lots of stuffing."

"In a dress?" You asked. Payton nodded and pulled out another fistful of the stuff. "But that will make it super heavy and-"

"I know. But she doesn't," Payton replied. She turned to Laila. "Now I'm behind schedule and it's all her fault."

You frowned. "She was just trying to help," you said quietly.

"I doubt that," Payton muttered. "Can you collect all the stuffing and put it back in its bag?"

"Yeah," you got up. "I thought you two were friends," you commented, arms full of stuffing.

"We... were," Payton responded. 

"So what happened?" 

"I guess we grew apart," Payton said quietly. "She moved on to other people and left me to follow."

"And did you?" You dropped an arms full of stuffing into the bag.

"For a bit. She was my best friend. But then it got old, her hopping all over the place," Payton paused. "The past is in the past. I don't want to make things worse. I certainly don't have the time, patience or energy for it."

"Speaking of time, how many more dresses do we have to make?"

"Two, but this one is going to take all day to fix. It's already one o' clock." 

One? It was already one? 

With that, things got a lot more frantic around the sewing room. There wasn't really a way you could help Payton fix the skirt so instead you over looked orders and made sure everything was fine with them. 

There was one order for a dress with a different color top and skirt. Payton suggested you double check with the woman who ordered it. The address was already on the paper, as it was being delivered to her. It turned out she lived in the place so you made your way to her room, hoping she would be there. 

You stopped short at the sight of Artie, strolling along with one of his servants. He said something and the servant nodded and scribbled it down. 

When Artie saw you, a warm smile creeped on his face. The servant asked him a question but he didn't respond. He was looking at you. 

"Laila," he said. "I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about do you think you can stop by-"

"Sorry. Can't. super busy," you hurried past him.

"Laila? Laila!" Artie called after you. 

With the image from this morning still fresh in your mind, you ignored him and kept walking.


	4. Ms. Understandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the ball moments away, does this Cinderella have time to make things right before the clock strikes 12?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sections marked by *s represent memories.

In the mirror stood a dazzling young lady. One with wavy hair pinned back into a loose bun, and soft and natural makeup.

She tested a twirl on her dress and smiled at the results. 

Her sister, sitting in the background scoffed at her and stood up. She gathered her huge skirt and shimmied towards the door.

"Where are you going?" You asked, turning from the girl in the mirror. 

"To meet my date," Marigold answered. She looked you up and down. "Something you don't have to do."

"Are you sure he's not hiding under your skirt? After all, it does have its own zip code," you said.

Marigold Snarled. "This is what real princesses wear. We are at a castle after all. Only appropriate attire is expected. Where as your outfit is lacking, in some places more than others."

"Marigold, I spent the last days making dresses for this event. None of them looked as..." you made a vague gesture. "As yours."

"They must be for the common folk then. I mean, it'd certainly make sense if they came to you," she commented. She squeezed her skirt through the door and turned to you over her puffy sleeves. "Don't bother me tonight."

You looked back to the girl in the mirror who shook her head. Marigolds dress was definitely... larger than life. Her sleeves puffed up to her chin, there were strands of silver sparkles lining her waist, there were tufts of fabric around her hips that mimicked a tutu, and her skirt flared out. And the whole thing was pink. 

Your dress seemed to be just the opposite. There was a soft sweetheart neckline with straps. A soft, flowing skirt fanned out around you. It was a mauve color, definitely not as flashy as Marigold's dress. 

She did have a point though. It seemed a little dull. A necklace would fix that right up. Except, you didn't have many necklaces. You didn't even like to wear jewelry that much.

*

The other day when Artie had run into you in the hallway, he asked for you to meet him that night. You ran into him again later and that time he told you to stop. Whether you liked him or not... he was the king. 

"Are you all right?" You nodded. He raised his eyebrow. "You look upset to me."

"There's lots of preparation to be done for the ball, Artie," you said.

"Yes. You're right. I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Artie replied.

"Oh," you responded.

He glanced down the hallway at an approaching servant and turned to you. "Meet me in my room? At eight?"

"I, uh. Okay," you said. He smiled and you walked away. 

That night you didn't meet him. You watched from your window as he paced along his balcony, waiting for you to join him. Your heart ached to go to him. Instead you closed your curtain, and tried not to think about what you saw.

When you opened your door the next morning, there was a letter sitting in front of it. Under the letter was a box. 

Laila,   
I really need to talk to you before the ball tomorrow. It's very important. I wanted to give you this last night but I suppose you were busy with work.   
I hope you like it.   
Artie

You were afraid to open the box. You set it down on your dresser and spent the rest of the day wondering just what might be inside it.

That night, you found it to be a sparkling emerald necklace. As you looked over all the details, there was a knock on your door. 

"His majesty sends for you."

You looked back at the necklace, and with a feeling of guilt, answered the door. The servants led you to Artie's room. 

He offered you a warm smile when you entered and, true to Artie, kissed your hand. You hoped he couldn't tell how sweaty it was. After a little bit of small talk, he finally asked you about the ball.

"Do you... have a date yet?"

You swallowed and squeaked out a "I do not."

"What was that?"

"I..." you took a deep breath as every ounce of you tried to stop what was coming. "Do."

Artie seemed to be surprised. He smiled anyways. "Well that's..." he looked away. "Good for you."

You didn't bother asking if he had one. You already knew. The conversation ended shortly after that. 

An underwhelming amount of the next day was spent fretting about your "date". You'd just say he got sick. Yeah. No big deal. 

"Do you have a date, Payton?" You asked, sewing gems onto the latest dress.

"There's someone I want to ask," she answered. "Do you?"

"No," you replied calmly.

"What?" Payton nearly yelled. "What do you mean?"

"Calm down," you said, nonchalant. "I don't have a date."

"What about Artie?" 

"What about him?" You asked. Payton sputtered and looked at you. "He already has a date."

"Who?"

You shrugged. "I don't know her. I just saw them talking on his balcony the other morning."

"Then how do you know he asked her?" Payton demanded.

"He held her hands and then she hugged him," you explained.

Payton thought for a moment before shaking her head and closing her eyes. "Oh no."

"What?"

"Laila," Payton started. "Did Artie say anything to you about the ball?"

"He asked if I had a date and I said yes."

Payton ran her hands through her hair. "Why would you do that?"

"He made it sound like I had to have one," You said, starting to get annoyed. "Why do you care so much? It doesn't really matter if he-"

"He was going to ask you out!" Payton exclaimed. You blinked. "He was nervous so he practiced on me! I was the girl on the balcony!"

You shook your head. "She was wearing a dress." Payton never wears dresses. That was a fact.

"That was the dress I'm wearing to the ball. I wanted to get his opinion on it," she explained.

"Why Artie?" You asked, still in disbelief.

"Believe it or not but we're best friends."

"Oh," you said quietly. "Oh no."

*

You looked away from the mirror. You had to see Artie.


	5. The Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it too late to talk to Artie? And if it isn’t will he forgive you?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for ur support! This fanfiction will probably always be a work in promise (I’m sorry) but I have other works I’m more serious about. I have something’s planned for gravity falls, sky high, and miraculous ladybug. On top of that, there are original stories I’m writting and some requests for my friends. Even if it says 5/5 I might go back in an add more chapters but I can’t promise anything.
> 
> PS— If you like listening to music while reading 9 Crimes by Damien Rice suits this chapter nicely :)

“I’m sorry but His Majesty is very busy in preparations for the ball and no longer taking visitors,” a guard sneered, staring you down from his post. 

“You don’t understand, there’s been a misunderstanding and I really need to see Artie,” you persisted. 

The guard smirked and rose his eyebrow like he was just enjoying your frustration. 

You held Artie’s necklace, which you grabbed before hurrying away, and said sternly, “I don’t have time for games. And if I want any future with Artie even as a friend I need to speak to him now.” You stood up to your full height. “I am loyal to His Majesty but if I may go against this one command. He may not be taking visitors but tell him it’s Laila. And if he still refuses me I shall turn away without another word.”

The guard eyed you carefully. He was silent for such a long time you were unsure he would even respond. “Very well.” He went inside Artie’s room and came back less than a minute later. “You are dismissed.”

Your heart sunk. You stood there for a moment, debating on whether or not you should thank the guard. But thank him, for what, his time? It’s not like he was much of a help. You gathered your skirt and walked on. 

Where else would Artie be? Is it too early to look for him at the ball? 

There was a lump in your throat. 

More importantly, was it too late? 

As kind as Artie was, what you did to him was kinda shady and he definitely had a reason to be upset. Your eyes watered as terrible thoughts filled your head.

At this point, you were so confused and distracted that you were walking down the same hallways every time.

There was a balcony along one hallway. Without really thinking, you went towards it and leaned dramatically on the rail. 

You hung your head down and let tears slip between your lashes and fall.

“Laila?” You heard a surprised voice say. 

“Artie?” You sniffed. He was standing a ways down the balcony with a concerned expression. Your heart sped up. Maybe it wasn’t too late. 

“Why are you crying?” He came closer.

“I’m sorry.” You couldn’t help but hug him.

“Sorry? Laila, what happened?” Artie asked, settling his arms around you.

“I thought you were dating Payton so I got really salty at you but then Payton said that was false so I ran to your room to see if it was too late and your guards were assholes to me and now I’m here,” you said in one breath.

He was quiet. Maybe he was thinking of what to say or maybe he was trying to figure out what you said. “I’m not dating Payton. I’m not dating anyone. Just breathe and let’s talk.”

You nodded, broke away from him, and calmed down. The more fresh air you got into your lungs, the calmer you became. It wasn’t too late. Artie was here and he was listening. 

“I shouldn’t have lied to you about having a date. And I shouldn’t have ignored you either but...” you started to get emotional again. You took a moment to gather yourself and closed your eyes as you breathed in the crisp night air. “I don’t feel worthy.”

He laughed. “Laila you don’t have to be worthy. There’s nothing to be worthy of.” He took the crown off his head and tossed it on the ground. “I’m not King Arthur I’m Artie and I’m not perfect but I like you a lot and I have for awhile.”

He didn’t seem mad. He seemed genuine. It warmed your heart. “I thought you liked Guin,” you said, insecurity still taking over. 

“I did...” he admitted. “When she first started dating Lancelot.”

“What changed that?” You asked.

He shook his head. “It’s a long story and I have to make an appearance at the ball.”

“Oh,” you said, slightly upset with him taking his leave.

Artie turned and picked his crown up. He held it out to you. “A proposal; you be my date tonight and I’ll tell you about Guin later?”

You nodded, smiled, and took the crown. 

It was too big for your head and it slipped so much you held it up as you two walked towards the ball. 

“You wore the necklace,” Artie commented. “It goes nicely with your dress. You look stunning.” 

“Thank you.”

“So we’re going to walk up onto the balcony and address everyone. You don’t have to say anything just stand there and smile but I have to make a short speech and then toast to the night,” Artie explained. 

“That sounds... like a lot of work.”

He shrugged. “Not too bad.” You stopped at a door and he turned to you. “Ready?”

You looked into his eyes and felt his comfort as you nodded. 

He opened the door, took your hand, and led you to the front of the balcony, overlooking the hundreds of people chattering below. 

“Ladies, and Gentlemen,” Artie called out, jumping into his speech. 

It would have been hard to stand up there alone. Even as he lead you away from the edge, your heart was still pounding. But it was pounding because he held your hand the entire speech.

And as he goes around and greets his guests he introduces you as his date. It’s small, but it means a lot. 

During a break from the excitement, you spot Payton. 

“I’ll be right back,” you told Artie, leaving him to finish telling a story to a crowd of people. 

He nodded. “Take your time but I better get a dance before this ball is over.”

You smiled and agreed. 

Payton was standing alone by a potted plant. You had to say, she was pulling off her dress nicely. It was a cream color that faded into a rusty orange towards the bottom. Her sleeves fell off her shoulders and she wore a corset that was the same rust orange. 

She smiled as she saw you coming. “Laila! I can’t believe you were up on the balcony with Artie!” 

You smiled and grasped your dress nervously. “I can’t either.”

“So you got things sorted out?” 

“Yeah. I think so. Are you here by yourself?” You asked.

Payton shook her head. “I have a date somewhere around here.”

You couldn’t tell if she was joking but smiled anyways. “Did you make your dress?”

“Yeah... awhile ago,” she laughed. “I didn’t really have time to make another after... you know.”

A pretty girl in a white top and red skirt walked up to you two and snuck her arm around Payton. She had shoulder-length black hair, green eyes, and pale skin. “You’re Artie’s date. What’s your name?” She asked.

“Heather, this is Laila.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos make me smile :)


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